This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
As will be appreciated, oil and natural gas have a profound effect on modern economies and societies. In order to meet the demand for such natural resources, numerous companies invest significant amounts of time and money in searching for and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems can be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Further, such systems generally include a wellhead assembly through which the resource is extracted. These wellhead assemblies generally include a wide variety of components and/or conduits, such as various control lines, casings, valves, and the like, that control drilling and/or extraction operations.
In drilling and extraction operations, various components and tools, in addition to and including wellheads, are employed to provide for drilling, completion, and production of a mineral resource. For instance, a wellhead system often includes a tubing hanger and/or casing hanger that is disposed within the casing or tubing spool or housing, where the tubing hanger or casing hanger is configured to secure tubing and casing suspended in the well bore. The hanger generally provides a path for hydraulic control fluid, chemical injections, or the like to be passed through the wellhead and into the well bore. Additionally, the tubing hanger provides a path for production fluid to be passed through the wellhead and exit the wellhead through a production flow bore to an external production flow line. In certain circumstances, multiple tubing or casing spools or housings may be used in the wellhead system. For example, multiple tubing or casing spools or housings may be stacked on top of one another or may be positioned side by side in a “shared” wellhead arrangement. The connections between these components benefit from strength and stability, to support high loads and stress in harsh operating environments.